All five members of the Daily Leader all-area first team were unanimous selections to their respective all-conference teams. Three of them were named all-state honorable mention.

Three classifications are represented in the first time and the player of the year hails from the third smallest school of the nine covered by The Leader. There are also 18 seniors on the 20-person team.

Jordan Tharp of Tri-Point is the 2012-13 PDL player of the year after putting up solid numbers for a team that finished under .500 and withered down the stretch.

Joining Tharp on the all-area first team by Addison Bounds of Prairie Central, Matt Harrison of Flanagan-Cornell, Fieldcrest’s Brady Sanders and Bodee Schlipf of El Paso-Gridley.

Jordan Tharp finished with 18.7 points and 7.3 rebounds a game averages. He also dished out 80 assists while often having to play out of his natural point guard position.

A baseball commit to Upper Iowa, Tharp may have been the most fundamentally sound player in the area. That’s saying something considering the other two players who made the first team all-area and were all-state honorable mention picks.

Tharp was a unanimous all-River Valley Conference pick and was named honorable mention to The Associated Press’ all-state team.

Addison Bounds led a balanced Prairie Central offense at 16.5 points per game. PC had four players average at least 9 points per game. He was also the Hawks’ leading rebounder at 5.9 per outing and averaged 3.1 assists. He was a unanimous all-Corn Belt Conference selection.

The other three first-teamers were unanimous all-Heart of Illinois Conference picks.

Matt Harrison was a focal point of the Flanagan-Cornell offense and a target for opposing defenses. Still, the senior center managed to average 19.5 points and 9.3 rebounds a game. He first in scoring average in the area and third in rebound average.

Brady Sanders of Fieldcrest put up solid numbers, especially in running the offense. He averaged 17.5 points and passed out 151 assists for the season. He also grabbed 152 rebounds for the season as he led the Knights to their second sectional championship game in as many years.

Bodee Schlipf of EPG was second in scoring average at 18.9 points and the second leading rebounder at 9.8. Schlipf was a four-year starter for the Titans.

If there was just one word to label the all-area second team it would be sniper.

The five players that make up the second team were known for making long shots. Making up the second team were Kyle Crowley of Fieldcrest, Kyler Hoffman of Prairie Central, Dwight’s Blake Huseman, Pontiac sophomore Neil Lambert and Lexington’s Jonny Meints.